October Drift

Somerset indie rock outfit October Drift fuse the ringing textures of UK shoegaze acts such as Ride with the gritty, dynamic shifts of American grunge. Although the group formally emerged in 2015, its four members—Kiran Roy on vocals and guitar, Daniel Young on guitar, Alex Bipsham on bass, and Chris Holmes on drums—had already been performing together since their high-school days in Taunton, Somerset, in England’s south-west. Avoiding social media to foster an enigmatic profile, they concentrated instead on live performances, generating enough excitement around their intense shows that an initial tour sold out before any recording had appeared. Drawing heavily from 1990s sources, they merged the bright, chiming qualities of British shoegaze exemplified by Ride, the abrasive quiet-to-loud contrasts of U.S. grunge, memorable hooks, and somber vocals in the vein of Joy Division, while also citing Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, and the National among their touchstones. Their independently issued early singles earned praise from critics, which in turn led to more prominent festival appearances. Maintaining a self-sufficient approach, they recorded everything in their own studio and produced much of their merchandise by hand. Their first release on a label, the 2018 single “Come and Find Me,” came out via Fierce Panda; that same year they supported Editors across Europe, followed in 2019 by dates with We Are Scientists, before issuing their debut album, Forever Whatever, on Physical Education in 2020.